Surviving a Design Review

Whether you’re in a historic district or an upscale development, the secrets of success are the same.

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When you buy into a neighborhood, you buy the neighborhood, and every resident has a stake in its quality of life. This means your rooster might make enemies, and your son’s car probably shouldn’t hit the cul de sac like it’s an aircraft carrier. The presentation of the houses and landscape matters too, especially in developments where homeowners pay a premium for a certain look and feel, or in historic districts where residents, visitors, and businesses are counting on the character of the area. In some of these developments and districts — whether you are building from the ground up, putting on an addition, or just changing a paint color — you will run into a design review board. Also called architectural review boards, or ARBs, these committees exist to enforce guidelines that go well beyond building codes and deed restrictions. Usually the focus is on appearance and style, but the directives often cover materials as well. Whether you are the homeowner, architect, or builder, if you’re not aware a review board exists or you don’t find out exactly what it requires, you could waste thousands of dollars on architectural renderings and construction plans only to have to go back…

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